Oak Ridgers had their eyes to the sky about 12:45 p.m. Thursday afternoon as a plane swept over the city.

The message was as clear as the sky.

“JOE GADDIS — LET’S PLAY SOME FOOTBALL!,” the plane read.

Talk of the former coach’s return has reached the stratosphere — literally and figuratively — since he took the job to come back and coach the Oak Ridge Wildcats football team for the first season since 1998.

Some 400 fans welcomed Gaddis at a ceremony at the school’s Wildcat Arena last week, trying to drum up support for the program that has seen the number of players diminish the last few seasons. Gaddis said that increasing participation, enthusiasm in the program in the community and fan turnout are among his goals this coming season.

Kick off for the 2013 season is more than 150 days away still, but fans are already looking forward to the opener at Farragut on Aug. 30. Oak Ridge will return home a week later to face in-county rival Clinton on Sept. 6.